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76-479: Climate Pledge Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Seattle, Washington , United States. It is located north of Downtown Seattle in the 74-acre (30 ha) entertainment complex known as Seattle Center , the site of the 1962 World's Fair , for which it was originally developed. After opening in 1962, it was subsequently bought and converted by the city of Seattle for entertainment purposes. From 2018 to 2021,

152-547: A 30-year lease for the Sonics and to build an 1,800-stall parking garage. Ackerley appeased the Seahawks' concerns, noting the arena would be empty during any NFL games. The Mariners unsuccessfully continued to object, even enlisting then-Major League Baseball commissioner Fay Vincent and then-American League president Bobby Brown to speak before the council ahead of their final vote. During negotiations, Ackerley had asked for

228-529: A location, often with the specific intent of comparing an idea to a sporting event. Such examples of these would be terms such as "the arena of war", "the arena of love" or "the political arena". Seattle Center In 1886, Seattle founder David Denny donated the tract of land that would eventually host the Seattle Center, stipulating that it be of "public use forever". Plans for the land took shape in 1928, when mayor Bertha Knight Landes dedicated

304-644: A long-term campus plan; the Disney proposal included replacement of the International Fountain with a pond and Memorial Stadium with a parking garage topped by an artificial meadow. The proposals were rejected by the city government after public outcry at hearings. Several buildings and pieces of artwork at the Seattle Center have Japanese influences. These include the Pacific Science Center, designed by architect Minoru Yamasaki ,

380-649: A newer, more modern arena. After failing to reach an agreement with the city of Seattle over a publicly funded $ 220 million expansion of KeyArena, the Basketball Club of Seattle, led by Schultz, put the SuperSonics and its sister team, the WNBA's Seattle Storm up for sale. After failing to find a local ownership group to sell the team to, Schultz talked to ownership groups from Kansas City , St. Louis , Las Vegas , San Jose and Anaheim before agreeing to sell

456-417: A parking garage on 1st Avenue N, a new team store, and a tunnel connecting the store to the arena brought the total cost to nearly $ 127.3 million. New amenities would include 22 concession stands, 8 portable stands with vending in the seating, three private sports clubs, and a public sports bar and restaurant. Club-level seating with 1,100 seats would also offer exclusive club, concession, and lounge areas, and

532-482: A private concourse with 58 luxury suites would also be added. A mandate of the project was that no taxpayer funds could be used to pay for it. This brought concern from the Ackerleys, but after nearly a year of negotiations a revenue sharing plan was developed. The city and the team would split revenues from suites, concessions, and other items all within the arena to service the debt for the city and provide income to

608-468: A provision to reduce the seating at the Coliseum by 9,000 seats so the older arena could not compete with the new building, but the city would not agree. Another selling point of the new arena were luxury suites, a means to attract corporate money and sponsorship that was then an emerging new revenue stream for sports team owners. Ackerley's financing and agreement with the city hinged on the ability to sell

684-505: A roof. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the lowest point, allowing maximum visibility. Arenas are usually designed to accommodate a multitude of spectators. The word derives from Latin harena , a particularly fine-grained sand that covered the floor of ancient arenas such as the Colosseum in Rome , Italy, to absorb blood. The term arena is sometimes used as

760-462: A secured $ 5 million line of credit in case the league had to take over ownership of the team at any point. Ackerley would not sacrifice Sonics revenues for a hockey team in which he would be a minority investor. In June 1991, nearly a year after the city agreed to the arena deal, Ackerley announced that the project would not move forward. Increasing project costs, legal disputes, and inability to secure construction financing were cited as reasons to drop

836-493: A stance that the Sonics were expected to stay in Seattle until their lease expired in 2010 and said the city did not intend to make it easy for Bennett to move the team early. Over concerns the city would accept a buyout of the lease, a grassroots group filed a citywide initiative that sought to prevent the city from accepting such an offer from Bennett's group. Seattle City Council later unanimously passed an ordinance modeled after

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912-430: A synonym for a very large venue such as Pasadena's Rose Bowl , but such a facility is typically called a stadium . The use of one term over the other has mostly to do with the type of event. Football (be it association , rugby , gridiron , Australian rules , or Gaelic ) is typically played in a stadium, while basketball , volleyball , handball , and ice hockey are typically played in an arena, although many of

988-809: A year later to host the WWE Over the Limit pay-per-view on May 22, 2011. In April 2011, the Professional Bull Riders brought the Built Ford Tough Series to KeyArena for the first time. Between June 28 and 30, 2011, the arena hosted the Seattle audition stages in the first season of the Fox singer search program The X Factor . On January 21, 2011, Seattle Center announced that KeyCorp would not renew its agreement for naming rights of KeyArena, after 15 years of sponsorship. However,

1064-580: Is a Seattle community asset." In 1990, the Ackerleys talked about building an arena east of Lake Washington near Bellevue Square . They would eventually purchase land in the SoDo district near the Kingdome, some of which includes the site that would later become the Mariners' home, T-Mobile Park . Ackerley approached the city about a public contribution to the new arena, but the city was reluctant over fears

1140-476: Is also the sport of indoor American football (one variant of which is explicitly known as arena football), a variant of the outdoor game that is designed for the usual smaller playing surface of most arenas; variants of other traditionally outdoor sports, including box lacrosse as well as futsal and indoor soccer , also exist. The term "arena" is also used loosely to refer to any event or type of event which either literally or metaphorically takes place in such

1216-507: The 1987 game had included NBA All-Star Saturday festivities on February 7, where former Sonics star "Downtown Freddie" Brown was the MVP of the legends game , Boston Celtics star Larry Bird won the three-point contest , and Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan won the slam-dunk competition . The NBA All-Star Game itself for 1987 in Seattle was held at the Kingdome . The arena hosted

1292-574: The Central Hockey League from 1964 to 1975, followed by the Seattle Thunderbirds of the current Western Hockey League from 1989 to 2008. The arena was the first publicly financed one in the area that was fully supported by earned income from the building. Arena finances were bolstered for several years by a payment following the settlement with the SuperSonics in 2008, but the lower level of activity and revenue during

1368-819: The National Hockey League (NHL), the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), the Seattle University Redhawks men's basketball team, and the Rat City Roller Derby league of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association . It has also played host to the Pac-12 Conference 's women's basketball tournament . The arena was previously most notable as the long-time former home of

1444-589: The Pittsburgh Penguins to Seattle (and the California Golden Seals to Denver) to address a troubled market and fill the expansion commitment, but ultimately kept the team there. Eventually, the Seattle franchise award was rescinded altogether when the potential ownership group was unable to secure the funds for the expansion fee. In July 1990, the city council approved a deal for a privately owned $ 100 million facility to be built on

1520-630: The Seattle SuperSonics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The SuperSonics first played at the facility, then known as the Seattle Center Coliseum , from their founding in 1967 to 1978 . After a seven-season stint in the higher capacity Kingdome , they returned to the arena in 1985 . The facility underwent an extensive renovation after the 1993–94 season, which necessitated

1596-608: The Seattle SuperSonics , beginning with their inaugural season in 1967 and remaining as host throughout most of the team's lifetime. The Coliseum in this incarnation hosted two NBA Finals , in 1978 and 1979 , both between the Washington Bullets and SuperSonics. The Bullets won in 1978, prevailing in game 7 in Seattle. The Sonics retaliated the following year, winning in Game 5 on the Bullets' home court, thus capturing

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1672-771: The Seattle University Redhawks men's basketball team began playing their home games at KeyArena for the first time since 1980. In February 2009, the Seattle City Council approved a new 10-year lease that would keep the WNBA's Storm at KeyArena. In 2009, the arena hosted the WWE No Way Out pay-per-view event. The WWE returned on March 9, 2010, to tape the March 9 episode of NXT and March 12 episode of SmackDown . They would return

1748-635: The Washington State Coliseum , one of the centerpieces of the new Seattle Center on the former Exposition grounds. When the newly renovated Coliseum opened, the Seattle University men's basketball team became the arena's first major tenant. In 1964, the facility was renamed the Seattle Center Coliseum . That same year, the Seattle Totems moved into the Coliseum. The Coliseum became home to its most famous resident,

1824-486: The 1984–85 season, after which the team returned to the Coliseum. During those 7 years, the Sonics would occasionally play home playoff games at the Coliseum or Hec Edmundson Pavilion so as to not interfere with the Mariners' regular season home schedule. They would continue to play occasional games at the Kingdome through the late 1980s and early 1990s. The arena hosted the NBA All-Star Game once, in 1974 ;

1900-530: The 70 proposed luxury suites. Ackerley also committed to submitting an expansion application to the NHL by a September 15, 1990, deadline as part of the arena deal. His son Bill would head the expansion effort, while a competing group led by Microsoft executive Chris Larson and former Seattle Totems player then coach Bill MacFarland was preparing their own application. With the Ackerley application already submitted,

1976-518: The Ackerley land in SoDo, despite objections over traffic and parking by the Seahawks and Mariners in the neighboring Kingdome. The city's contribution would be to waive about $ 31 million in tax revenues (about $ 1 million per year) to potentially be collected on admissions fees at the new arena. It would also pay $ 2 million for street improvements around the proposed site, including a pedestrian walkway over South Royal Brougham Way. Ackerley also agreed to sign

2052-583: The Century 21 Center from the corporation after it had incurred $ 300,000 in debts. The corporation was dissolved in 1965 and promotion of the Seattle Center was transferred to Greater Seattle, Inc., the region's tourism organization. The Seattle Center campus underwent a decline in attendance and importance after the World's Fair, which led to proposal to redevelop it for other uses. The Seattle city government contracted Walt Disney Imagineering in 1987 to design

2128-407: The Coliseum by excavating the floor to lower it and build a new bowl with more seating. The Ackerleys turned down the renovation concept in favor of building their own arena in SoDo. Though the city preferred the renovation, they would reluctantly agree to the new arena plan. After the SoDo proposal fell through, the Ackerleys attempted to find other investors to no avail. Barry Ackerley would return to

2204-578: The NBA's lone rain delayed game on January 5, 1986, when rain water leaked from the roof onto the court as the Sonics played the Phoenix Suns . Timeouts were called so ball boys armed with towels could do their best to wipe up the puddles, but even so, two players slipped and fell on the wet surface. Early in the second quarter, referee Mike Mathis called the game with the Suns up by eleven points. The game

2280-582: The NHL approved the sale of the Coyotes to an investment group that would keep the Coyotes in the Phoenix area, eliminating the possibility that the Coyotes could move to Seattle. Conversely, in February 2012, SB Nation columnist Travis Hughes said that while it made "too much sense" for the NHL not to put a team in Seattle in the future, KeyArena was completely unsuitable even as a temporary facility due to

2356-419: The NHL could not negotiate a new lease for the Coyotes with the city of Glendale, Arizona , by July 2, the league would sell the team to a private investment group which would then be given permission to relocate the team to Seattle prior to the 2013–2014 season and use KeyArena as a temporary home. On July 2, the city of Glendale, Arizona approved a new lease for the Coyotes at Jobing.com Arena , and soon after,

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2432-480: The Seattle fan base and follow through on his plan to move the team to Oklahoma City ... Making this move now continues the current ownership's insulting behavior toward the Sonics' dedicated fans and the citizens of the city." Bennett also reiterated that the team was not for sale and dismissed attempts by local groups to repurchase the team. On September 23, 2007, the City of Seattle filed a lawsuit in an attempt to keep

2508-409: The Sonics from leaving before the end of their lease in 2010. In the midst of the lawsuit, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer offered to pay half of a $ 300 million renovation of KeyArena; the rest to be provided by the city and county. However, when the state legislature did not give approval for the county to provide funds by an April 10 deadline, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels said that the effort had failed and

2584-514: The Sonics. The game was mostly played to celebrate its moments with the NBA and ended up being its final event as the KeyArena before the arena closed down for redevelopment. In October 2016, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray announced that the city would seek proposals to redevelop KeyArena into an NBA and NHL ready venue, issuing a full request for proposal in January. This came after the rejection of

2660-577: The SuperSonics lost to the Chicago Bulls in six games. In 2001, ownership of the Seattle SuperSonics (who had called KeyArena home on-and-off since their establishment in 1967) transferred from Barry Ackerley to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz . Schultz claimed that in the five years he owned the SuperSonics, the team suffered heavy financial losses, which led him to seek funding from the Washington State Legislature for

2736-517: The SuperSonics, which could be "shared" with any future NBA team in Seattle. The team moved to Oklahoma City immediately and announced it would begin play in the 2008–09 season. Once KeyArena lost the SuperSonics and the Thunderbirds, there was speculation that KeyBank may try to amend the naming rights deal. In March 2009, the city and KeyCorp signed a new deal for a two-year term ending December 31, 2010, at an annual fee of $ 300,000. In 2009,

2812-399: The architectural integrity of the original roofline by using the existing steel trusses in combination with four new main diagonal trusses. The wood, steel and concrete from the demolition was either reused in construction of the new arena or sold to recyclers. The original acoustical panels, the panels attached to the roof that keep the space from echoing, were refurbished and reused. The court

2888-631: The arena underwent a $ 1.15 billion redevelopment; the renovation preserved the original exterior and roof, which was declared a Seattle Landmark in 2017 and was listed on the Washington Heritage Register as well as the National Register of Historic Places in 2018. The renovated venue has a capacity of 17,151 for ice hockey and 18,300 for basketball. The arena is currently the home to the Seattle Kraken of

2964-629: The arena, combined with earlier losses under recent ownership groups, "likely doomed the Sonics' future in the city". On February 12, 2007, Bennett proposed using tax money to pay for a new $ 500 million arena in Renton , a suburb of Seattle. After failing to reach a deal by the end of the legislative session, Bennett gave up his attempt in April 2007. On November 2, 2007, the team announced it would move to Oklahoma City as soon as it could get out of its KeyArena lease. Seattle's mayor, Greg Nickels , maintained

3040-534: The basketball competitions of the Goodwill Games in 1990 . In 1983, Barry Ackerley , head of the Washington, D.C.-based television, radio, and billboard company Ackerley Communications Inc. , purchased the Sonics from long-time owner Sam Schulman . In the mid-to-late 1980s, the team's on-court success would decline. This was coupled with a sub-par home court experience at the Coliseum, which included

3116-408: The board first, promptly withdrew their application, and left. Larson and MacFarland were stunned to learn of the development but were unable to pursue any recourse as their names were never on the submitted application. Thought to play a factor in Ackerley's decision were the significant demands by the NHL for an expansion team: a $ 50 million expansion fee that was more than any NHL club was valued at

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3192-415: The city to ask if they would still consider renovating the Coliseum. With renewed interest on all sides, including the city council, the city spent $ 250,000 studying if it was even environmentally and engineeringly feasible to dig into the ground beneath the building. The plan proved possible and it was found that the compression ring holding the roof could be preserved, saving $ 15 million in cost and keeping

3268-508: The city's hopes rested in its lawsuit. The last SuperSonics game played at KeyArena was on April 13, 2008 , a 99–95 win over the Dallas Mavericks . The NBA Board of Governors approved the relocation of the Sonics on April 18, 2008. On June 16, 2008, the grassroots organization "Save Our Sonics" organized a well-publicized rally, which reportedly drew over 3,000 participants, at the U.S. District Courthouse in Seattle to protest

3344-446: The city-owned Coliseum would become obsolete. They offered to help finance a renovation of the Coliseum, but the team owner declined. To sweeten the offer, Ackerley sold city leaders on the idea that the new arena in SoDo could also attract a National Hockey League club. The city, along with Denver, had been conditionally granted an expansion NHL franchise in 1974 to begin play in the 1976–77 season. The NHL briefly flirted with relocating

3420-460: The facility seismically sound against earthquakes. The original cable-suspended roof would be replaced by a conventional fixed roof with steel trusses that would preserve the well-known shape. The project had an estimated cost of $ 73.4 million, considerably less than other new arenas of the time in Portland and Vancouver, to be paid with the city's bond capacity. A new kitchen and support building,

3496-710: The first a doubles match pitting Roger Federer and Bill Gates against John Isner and Mike McCready of Pearl Jam , and a singles match featuring Federer and Isner. More than $ 2 million was raised for the Roger Federer Foundation from the match's proceeds. On October 5, 2018, the Golden State Warriors played against the Sacramento Kings in a preseason game at KeyArena, the same arena where Kevin Durant played previously with

3572-448: The franchise's only championship. Upon the opening of the new Kingdome in 1976, which first hosted the NFL 's Seahawks and NASL 's Sounders followed by MLB 's expansion Mariners in 1977, the Sonics would begin playing a small number of home games at the stadium. For the championship 1978-79 season , the basketball club moved into the Kingdome full-time. They would call it home through

3648-446: The ice could not be seen at all, forcing them to curtain off several thousand seats in the upper level. League officials later hinted that a new arena would have to be in place before a new or relocated NHL team came to Seattle. During the 2012 All-Star Weekend, Bettman said that while Seattle was a good fit for the NHL, "there's no building." Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said that KeyArena would be "a difficult arena for hockey" due to

3724-409: The initiative. On August 13, 2007, Aubrey McClendon , a minor partner of Bennett's ownership group, said in an interview with The Journal Record (an Oklahoma City newspaper) that the team was not purchased to keep it in Seattle but to relocate it to Oklahoma City. Bennett later denied such intentions, saying McClendon "was not speaking on behalf of the ownership group". Due to his comments, McClendon

3800-464: The large number of obstructed-view seats. In February 2012, KING 5 reporter Chris Daniels said an NBA team could also use KeyArena as a temporary home. In July 2012, at a public town hall meeting debating Chris Hansen's proposed NBA/NHL arena in downtown Seattle , anti-arena proponents wanted to "re-explore" using KeyArena instead of the proposed site downtown. From 2014 to 2017, American video game developer Valve hosted The International ,

3876-588: The larger arenas hold more spectators than do the stadiums of smaller colleges or high schools. There are exceptions. The home of the Duke University men's and women's basketball teams would qualify as an arena, but the facility is called Cameron Indoor Stadium . Domed stadiums, which, like arenas, are enclosed but have the larger playing surfaces and seating capacities found in stadiums, are generally not referred to as arenas in North America. There

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3952-469: The lease, and an additional $ 30 million if Seattle was not given a replacement team in five years. According to the conditions of the settlement, the Sonics' name and colors could not be used by the team in Oklahoma City, but could be taken by a future team in Seattle, although no promises for a replacement team were given. The newly renamed Oklahoma City Thunder would retain the franchise history of

4028-463: The multi-purpose Tacoma Dome in Tacoma , about thirty miles (50 km) south. On April 11, 1995, the city sold the naming rights to Cleveland -based KeyCorp, the parent of KeyBank , which renamed the Coliseum as KeyArena. The renovation cost the city of Seattle $ 74.5 million and the SuperSonics approximately $ 21 million. The naming rights cost KeyCorp $ 15.1 million. The remodeled arena maintained

4104-402: The new arena proposed in SoDo by Seattle City Council over the street vacation of Occidental Avenue. Arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre , musical performances , and/or sporting events . It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators, and may be covered by

4180-645: The newly-constructed arena and auditorium on the site as the Civic Center complex. In 1958, the Civic Auditorium was chosen as the future location of the World's Fair, and demolition work began following a countdown ceremony initiated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower . In 1961, Japanese architects Hideki Shimizu and Kazuyuki Matsushita were chosen to design the International Fountain , and a contract with Alweg Rapid Transit Systems

4256-646: The pledge promoted by the advocacy group Global Optimism for businesses to reach net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2040. The arena opened in 1962 as the Washington State Pavilion for the Century 21 Exposition , the work of architect Paul Thiry . After the close of the Exposition, the Pavilion was purchased by the city of Seattle for $ 2.9 million and underwent an 18-month conversion into

4332-412: The project loomed. Newly elected Seattle mayor Norm Rice was concerned over a loss of concerts and events to cities with larger, more modern facilities, and the strong possibility the city could lose the Sonics. The mayor believed that sports unite a community and that Seattle Center would continue to serve as a valuable hub for tourism. At his insistence, a Center commission developed a plan to renovate

4408-474: The project. Only around 30 of the 70 luxury suites were sold and the Ackerleys were unable to find a corporate buyer for naming rights. Ackerley Communications profits were down, which also contributed to the financing difficulties. A state Supreme Court case brought by Seattle Center employees challenged the constitutionality of the arena deal, while potential lawsuits from the Mariners and trade show organizers and possible legal challenges to environmental review of

4484-459: The proposed relocation of the team. The rally was held on the first day of the city of Seattle's lawsuit against the PBC to enforce the remaining two years on the KeyArena lease. On July 2, 2008, two hours before a ruling in the city's lawsuit was to be given, it was announced that the team and the city had reached a settlement where PBC would pay the city $ 45 million immediately in exchange for breaking

4560-472: The relocation of SuperSonics home games to the Tacoma Dome for the 1994–95 season, and it was renamed KeyArena after KeyCorp bought the naming rights in 1995. The SuperSonics left KeyArena in 2008 amid a controversial relocation to Oklahoma City . The arena was also known for hosting minor professional hockey teams, first as home to the Seattle Totems of the original Western Hockey League and

4636-441: The sale required the new ownership group to "use good faith best efforts" for a term of 12 months in securing a new arena lease or venue in the Seattle metropolitan area . In 2006, 74% of voters in Seattle voted to pass Initiative 91, a measure that prohibited use of tax dollars on arena projects in the city unless it could be shown the city would turn a profit on their investment. The limitation of tax dollars that could be spent on

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4712-437: The same problems with sight lines that ultimately forced the Thunderbirds to move out. Hughes wrote that even one year of NHL hockey in an arena where half the lower bowl sat unused would be "just unacceptable." He argued that the situation would be even worse than what the Coyotes faced at America West Arena , their original home in Phoenix. When the Coyotes played there from 1996 to 2003, they had to deal with seats where part of

4788-479: The team on July 18, 2006 to an ownership group from Oklahoma City , who was pursuing an NBA franchise after hosting the New Orleans Hornets franchise successfully for two seasons as the city of New Orleans rebuilt from Hurricane Katrina . The sale to Clay Bennett 's ownership group, Professional Basketball Club LLC (PBC) for $ 350 million was approved by NBA owners on October 24, 2006. Terms of

4864-491: The team. The arena would be the first to finance itself by use of the arena. In May 1993, the city council voted 7–2 in favor of the deal with the Sonics signing a 15-year lease agreement and a guaranteed income of $ 7 million per year during the lease. The agreement was initially turned down in council committee in the hopes of negotiating a 20-year lease with an increased guaranteed income of $ 9 million per year starting in year 15. The Ackerleys declined these changes. The Coliseum

4940-476: The time between the departure of the team and the arrival of the NHL left little reserve beyond basic building maintenance. The naming rights deal with KeyCorp concluded at the end of 2010, but the building maintained the KeyArena name until its 2018 closure for the redevelopment. Amazon bought the naming rights to the arena in June 2020, dedicating the arena name to bringing attention to climate change , specifically

5016-485: The time; a $ 5 million down payment that would be forfeited if 10,000 season tickets were not sold in the first year – the Sonics had never sold more than 9,000 season tickets; season tickets needed to produce at least $ 9 million annually, which would've made the tickets the second most expensive for a team in the area at the time; a 20-year lease with a "substantial" share of arena revenues from concessions, parking, and ad signage; priority status for postseason arena dates; and

5092-478: The two groups would merge with Larson and MacFarland being primary points of contact with the NHL. Then owner of the Seattle Thunderbirds, Bill Yuill, also joined the group. Larson and MacFarland, along with Barry Ackerley and Bill Lear, Ackerley's financial advisor, were set to make a presentation to the NHL's Board of Governors on December 5, 1990. At the meeting, Ackerley and Lear asked to meet with

5168-421: The venue retained the KeyArena name until its redevelopment, despite the fact that the naming right had expired. In January 2012, ESPN.com reporter Scott Burnside said KeyArena "would be entirely acceptable", as a temporary venue for an NHL franchise, depending on a future arena plan. The Phoenix Coyotes were often speculated to be a likely candidate for relocation and in June 2013, reports circulated that if

5244-613: The world championship for Dota 2 eSports , at the venue, which featured prize pools of over $ 20 million in 2016 and 2017. TI returned to the venue in 2023. KeyArena hosted early rounds of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 1999 and 2015 . On September 16, 2016, the arena hosted the Kellogg's Tour of Gymnastics Champions. Roger Federer organized a tennis exhibition match at KeyArena with Match for Africa 4 , held on April 29, 2017. Two matches were played,

5320-478: Was curtained off for T-Birds games. The new scoreboard was significantly off-center in the ice hockey configuration, hanging over one blue line instead of the center-ice faceoff circle. The first regular season game for the SuperSonics at the rechristened KeyArena was played on November 4, 1995 , against the Los Angeles Lakers . The renovated arena hosted the 1996 NBA Finals in its first season, when

5396-418: Was fined $ 250,000 by the NBA. On October 31, 2007, Bennett informed NBA commissioner David Stern that the ownership group intended to move the Sonics to Oklahoma City as soon as it was legally possible. The timing of the announcement, one day after the Sonics' home opener, drew critical comments from Tom Carr, Seattle's attorney, who said "Mr. Bennett's announcement today is a transparent attempt to alienate

5472-400: Was lowered 35 feet (11 m) below street level to allow for 3,000 more seats. The doors opened to the newly renovated arena on October 26, 1995. The sightlines, however, benefitted the SuperSonics at the expense of the junior Thunderbirds. The floor was just barely large enough to fit a regulation ice rink. Many seats in the lower level were so badly obstructed that almost half the lower level

5548-401: Was rebuilt between 1994 and 1995, bringing the arena up to the NBA standards of the day. The local Seattle office of NBBJ , the second largest architectural firm in the country, was chosen as the architects. In an unusual move, the Coliseum would be closed for a year during the renovation. Construction began on June 16, 1994. During the 1994–95 season, the SuperSonics played their home games at

5624-468: Was resumed from that point the following night, and Phoenix won by seventeen . Ackerley began exploring new options for an arena. Heavy relocation rumors began to circulate, amongst them a potential move to San Diego or possible sales to groups in other markets like Milwaukee or Toronto. In 2018, Ackerley's son Chris would say that the family was always committed to keeping the team in Seattle, and that "[...] in each case, we stood on our principles that this

5700-622: Was returned to the City of Seattle, which has since maintained it as a hub for the city's performing arts and sporting events. Some of the facilities were leased to the Century 21 Center, a nonprofit corporation formed in 1962 to promote the Seattle Center complex. The Seattle Center Armory remained under the ownership of the Washington State Military Department but was leased to the city government for use as an events and museum space. In December 1964, City of Seattle announced its intent to take over management of

5776-461: Was signed for the construction of the monorail line . On April 21, 1962, President John F. Kennedy officially opened the World's Fair; the six-month event was attended by, among others, astronaut John Glenn , politician Robert F. Kennedy , and singer Elvis Presley , who arrived in September 1962 to shoot the film It Happened at the World's Fair . On June 1, 1963, ownership of the complex

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